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Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 246 (2:246)

ٱلْبَقَرَة

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَإِ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ لِنَبِىٍّ لَّهُمُ …

Quran 2:246 is ayah 246 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 2, on page 40 of the Madani Mushaf.

2:246
أَلَمْتَرَإِلَىٱلْمَلَإِمِنۢبَنِىٓإِسْرَٰٓءِيلَمِنۢبَعْدِمُوسَىٰٓإِذْقَالُوا۟لِنَبِىٍّلَّهُمُٱبْعَثْلَنَامَلِكًانُّقَٰتِلْفِىسَبِيلِٱللَّهِ ۖقَالَهَلْعَسَيْتُمْإِنكُتِبَعَلَيْكُمُٱلْقِتَالُأَلَّاتُقَٰتِلُوا۟ ۖقَالُوا۟وَمَالَنَآأَلَّانُقَٰتِلَفِىسَبِيلِٱللَّهِوَقَدْأُخْرِجْنَامِندِيَٰرِنَاوَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖفَلَمَّاكُتِبَعَلَيْهِمُٱلْقِتَالُتَوَلَّوْا۟إِلَّاقَلِيلًامِّنْهُمْ ۗوَٱللَّهُعَلِيمٌۢبِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ٢٤٦
alam tara ilā l-mala-i min banī is'rāīla min baʿdi mūsā idh qālū linabiyyin lahumu ib'ʿath lanā malikan nuqātil fī sabīli l-lahi qāla hal ʿasaytum in kutiba ʿalaykumu l-qitālu allā tuqātilū qālū wamā lanā allā nuqātila fī sabīli l-lahi waqad ukh'rij'nā min diyārinā wa-abnāinā falammā kutiba ʿalayhimu l-qitālu tawallaw illā qalīlan min'hum wal-lahu ʿalīmun bil-ẓālimīna

Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allāh"? He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if battle was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allāh when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when battle was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allāh is Knowing of the wrongdoers.(246)

Word by word

  1. أَلَمْalamDid not
  2. تَرَtarayou see
  3. إِلَىilā[towards]
  4. ٱلْمَلَإِl-mala-ithe chiefs
  5. مِنۢminof
  6. بَنِىٓbanī(the) Children
  7. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَis'rāīla(of) Israel
  8. مِنۢminfrom
  9. بَعْدِbaʿdiafter
  10. مُوسَىٰٓmūsāMusa
  11. إِذْidhwhen
  12. قَالُوا۟qālūthey said
  13. لِنَبِىٍّlinabiyyinto a Prophet
  14. لَّهُمُlahumuof theirs
  15. ٱبْعَثْib'ʿathAppoint
  16. لَنَاlanāfor us
  17. مَلِكًاmalikana king
  18. نُّقَٰتِلْnuqātilwe may fight
  19. فِىfīin
  20. سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
  21. ٱللَّهِ ۖl-lahi(of) Allah
  22. قَالَqālaHe said
  23. هَلْhalWould
  24. عَسَيْتُمْʿasaytumyou perhaps
  25. إِنinif
  26. كُتِبَkutibaprescribed
  27. عَلَيْكُمُʿalaykumuupon you
  28. ٱلْقِتَالُl-qitālu[the] fighting
  29. أَلَّاallāthat not
  30. تُقَٰتِلُوا۟ ۖtuqātilūyou fight
  31. قَالُوا۟qālūThey said
  32. وَمَاwamāAnd what
  33. لَنَآlanāfor us
  34. أَلَّاallāthat not
  35. نُقَٰتِلَnuqātilawe fight
  36. فِىfīin
  37. سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
  38. ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
  39. وَقَدْwaqadwhile surely
  40. أُخْرِجْنَاukh'rij'nāwe have been driven
  41. مِنminfrom
  42. دِيَٰرِنَاdiyārināour homes
  43. وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖwa-abnāināand our children
  44. فَلَمَّاfalammāYet, when
  45. كُتِبَkutibawas prescribed
  46. عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimuupon them
  47. ٱلْقِتَالُl-qitāluthe fighting
  48. تَوَلَّوْا۟tawallawthey turned away
  49. إِلَّاillāexcept
  50. قَلِيلًاqalīlana few
  51. مِّنْهُمْ ۗmin'humamong them
  52. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
  53. عَلِيمٌۢʿalīmun(is) All-Knowing
  54. بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَbil-ẓālimīnaof the wrongdoers

Tafsir (commentary) of 2:246

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Story of the Jews Who sought a King to be appointed over Them

Mujahid said that the Prophet (mentioned in the Ayah 2:246 above) is Shamwil (Samuel). Wahb bin Munabbih said: The Children of Israel remained on the straight path for a period of time after Moses. They then innovated in the religion and some of them even worshipped the idols. Yet, there were always Prophets sent among them who would command them to work righteous deeds, refrain from doing evil and who would rule them according to the commands of the Torah. When they (Israelites) committed the evil that they committed, Allah caused their enemies to overwhelm them, and many fatalities fell among them as a consequence. Their enemies also captured a great number of them, and took over large areas of their land. Earlier, anyone who would fight the Israelites would lose, because they had the Torah and the Tabut, which they inherited generation after generation ever since the time of Moses, who spoke to Allah directly. Yet, the Israelites kept indulging in misguidance until some king took the Tabut from them during a battle. That king also took possession of the Torah, and only a few of the Israelites who memorized it remained. The prophethood halted among their various tribes and only a pregnant woman remained of the offspring of Lavi (Levi), in whom the prophethood still appeared. Her husband had been killed, so the Israelites kept her in a house so that Allah may give her a boy, who would be their Prophet. The woman also kept invoking Allah to grant her a boy. Allah heard her pleas and gave her a boy whom she called `Shamwil' meaning `Allah has heard my pleas.' Some people said that the boy's name was Sham`un (Simeon), which also has a similar meaning.

As that boy grew, Allah raised him to be a righteous person. When he reached the age of prophethood, Allah revealed to him and commanded him to call (his people) to Him and to His Tawhid (Oneness). Shamwil called the Children of Israel (to Allah) and they asked him to appoint a king over them so that they could fight their enemies under his command. The kingship had also ended among them. Their Prophet said to them, "What if Allah appoints a king over you, would you fulfill your vow to fight under his command"

قَالُواْ وَمَا لَنَآ أَلاَّ نُقَـتِلَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِن دِيَـرِنَا وَأَبْنَآئِنَا

(They said, "Why should we not fight in Allah's way while we have been driven out of our homes and our children") meaning, `After our land had been confiscated and our children had been taken from us' Allah said:

فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْاْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّنْهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّـلِمِينَ

(But when fighting was ordered for them, they turned away, all except a few of them. And Allah is All-Aware of the wrongdoers) meaning, only a few of them kept their promise, but the majority abandoned Jihad and Allah has full knowledge of them.

Read the full Surah Al-Baqarah